1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inflation mechanism for an inflatable article of manufacture. More particularly, the present invention is an inflation mechanism which contains a source of pressurized gas.
2. Related Art
Numerous inflation devices or pumps are known in the art. For example, bulb-type pumps or syringes have been used for many years to inflate or inject air into various articles of manufacture, including inflatable air mattresses, blood-pressure cuffs and atomizers. U.S. Pat. No. 451,643 to Schoettl discloses such a bulb-type pump for an atomizer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,767 to Cohen discloses another bulb-type pump for use specifically with an athletic shoe having an inflatable bladder. The pump of the Cohen patent includes top and bottom layers which are formed from urethane sheets. The pump further includes an inlet in fluid communication with the atmosphere and an outlet in fluid communication with the bladder. The bladder is inflated by depressing the top surface of the pump to force ambient air into the bladder. The pump is conveniently located on the upper of the shoe and is generally lightweight.
Another inflation mechanism for inflating an elastomeric bladder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,765 to Pekar. The Pekar patent discloses a pump which includes an open-sided dome member. The dome member is fused or heat-sealed about an opening provided in the top layer of the bladder. The dome member includes a flapper-type inlet valve and a duck-bill outlet valve. Fluid is introduced into the bladder by depressing and releasing the top of the dome.
In an effort to obtain rapid inflation of an inflatable bladder, other inflation mechanisms utilizing a source of pressurized gas (specifically CO.sub.2 gas) have been developed . U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,545 to Kroh discloses such a device for inflating a tire. The device includes a cartridge of pressurized gas and an inflating head. The outlet of the inflating head is threaded to connect with the valve of a tire, specifically a bicycle tire. Although the Kroh device inflates a bicycle tire rapidly and at high pressures, the valve assembly of the Kroh patent is complex in nature and is therefore rather expensive to manufacture.
Still another inflation device which utilizes a self-contained source of pressurized gas is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,954 to Will. The inflation system of the Will patent is specifically structured for use with bicycle tires incorporating SCHRADER.TM. or PRESTA.TM. type valves. Unfortunately, the device of the Will patent is not capable of regulating the flow of gas to avoid over inflation of the bladder. Therefore, the volume of the cartridge to be used with the Will device must match the capacity of the bladder to be inflated.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pressurized inflation device for an inflatable article of manufacture which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pressurized inflation device which utilizes standardized, non-threaded gas cartridges.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a pressurized inflation device which is compact, lightweight, and convenient for use with all types of inflatable bladders.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a pressurized inflation device which controls the volume of fluid passing to the inflatable bladder and allows long-term containment of unused gas.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a pressurized inflation device which includes a means for relieving a build-up of excess pressure to avoid damaging an inflatable bladder.